The Things That Could Be
by all-the-little-words
Summary: Luna saves Harry's life when he accidentally falls into the lake and almost drowns.


It was surprisingly cold and dark for a summer night. A wind whipped through the shadows. All you could see was the gleam of the moonlight on the lake. Harry Potter sat by the shore.

"Why is it always me?" He asked himself silently. "Why does everyone always die?" He could see Sirius, falling through the veil, leaving Harry alone. _He died because of me. _Harry couldn't help thinking. He thought of everyone who'd already died because of him.

There was a war on Voldemort now.

The wind slowed.

The silence seemed louder, deafening.

"I wish I could just leave. Forget all of this, this pain. Just slip out, not leaving a sound."

The wind whipped though the grounds, tearing leaves off of trees.

Harry stepped closer to the lake. He could see his reflection staring back at him, shivering.

"I wish I could stop caring."

Suddenly, a cold blast of icy wind blew through him.

Surprised, he stumbled forward and fell face first into the water.

The water was shockingly cold, icy. It made its way through his body, freezing it as he was pulled under.

Everything that was left to fight for, Ron Hermione –

He was going to die, there would be no one left, no one to fight Voldemort, they would be left alone –

He surged upwards, gasping, and fought to get to the shore, but something wrapped around his ankle, pulling him under.

He was going to die of his own stupidity.

Harry Potter, the Chosen One, dead because he fell and drowned himself in the lake.

How depressing is that?

The thing that was wrapped around his ankle tightened, pulling him downwards.

Gillyweed – Bubble Head Charm, anything, Harry thought desperately, please. He sank deeper.

And then, suddenly, there was someone else there. The person's warm hands grabbed Harry's cold body and dragged him to the surface. Harry saw little black dots on the edge of his eyes.

The person dragged Harry out of the water and onto the cold ground.

Harry's vision went black and he couldn't see anything.

Half dragging, half carrying him, the person brought him inside and up several flights of stairs.

"Professor? I need blankets."

The voice sounded vaguely familiar.

"Lu – Luna?" Harry gasped.

"I fancied a midnight swim too." Luna said. Harry tried to open his eyes, but all he could see was fuzzy outline. He reached around for his glasses.

"Thanks, Professor." Harry felt warmth around him. "We'll just stay here." Luna said.

"Alright then, Ms. Lovegood. I trust you'll be fine."

"Yes, Professor."

Too tired to bother with anything else, Harry leaned farther back onto the couch and fell asleep.

Luna looked up at the ceiling of the Ravenclaw common room. Small replicas of the planets and stars dangled above the student's heads.

It reminded Luna of her mother.

They used to create their own constellations, better ones.

Luna traced them in her mind, and suddenly she was a child again, in her mother's lap. She pointed up at the stars with her long, graceful arm. She stroked Luna's hair.

With the thought of her mother's arms around her, Luna fell asleep.

Harry's dreams were strange. Voldemort wove in and out of them, changing to different versions of his friends. Voldemort hid inside Ron, then Neville. He woke with a start as a dead Sirius turned into a snake and tried to kill him.

He was in an unfamiliar room, with a high domed ceiling. Tall windows framed with blue and bronze curtains, rippling gently in the wind. Luna was asleep next to him, her head falling on his shoulder. He slowly got up so as not to disturb her.

Harry walked over to the window and looked out over the grounds. He had never been in this tower before. He could see the mountains in the half-light. They looked so grand and majestic, perfect.

"It beautiful, isn't it?" Luna had woken up, and stood behind him.

Harry, lost in his thoughts, looked up, startled. "What? Oh, I've never seen the mountains like this before." He said.

"Yes." Luna said. Her voice was as dreamy as ever.

Harry turned to Luna. "Thank you – for saving my life."

"You've saved mine too." There was no arguing against that now.

"I guess that makes us even then."

Luna looked out over the grounds. "I know how you feel." She said. She paused, as if what she was about to say something that hurt to come out. "My mother died. A few years ago. One of her spells went wrong.

"I was only eight, but I was old enough to be sad. I missed her desperately. You never really forget them, you know." Luna turned to Harry. "You just learn to deal with the pain. You realize you have to go on living. For them. Because they wouldn't want you to die. You live everyday with the memory of them in your heart."

Harry looked out down at the lake. "Sometimes I feel like that will never happen. That it will never get better."

"Don't worry." Luna said, turning back to window. "It will." She reached out and grasped his hand, holding it in a warm, comforting way.

"Thanks." Harry said.

The sun began to rise, shooting jets of red and pink into the sky.

"I've always loved the sunrise." Luna leaned on her arms. "Mum and I used to wake up at sunrise and go out to watch everything wake up." She smiled. "We'd see the birds and the flowers, all opening up for the day."

They stood there in silence, each one thinking their own thoughts, as the sun rose and bathed them in light.


End file.
